The Holyhead Harpies
by ShelPenguin
Summary: A short story about Ginny getting accepted by the Holyhead Harpies. Set in December of 1998. Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you


A short story about Ginny getting accepted to the Holyhead Harpies. Please let me know what you think of this!

**I don't own Harry Potter, I swear to you.**

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**The Holyhead Harpies**

"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, please come to the front of the auror department, please. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

The echoed female voice died out of the overhead speakers and Ron and Harry froze for a moment. Their cubicles were apart from each other and they were currently throwing a quaffle between them (which they have been told not to do).

"You don't reckon someone told on us, do you?" Ron grimaced, hiding the quaffle under the dark corner of his desk.

"I don't think so," responded Harry, pushing his chair in.

The two of them began to walk down the make-shift corridor between the corridors, side by side. They shared the few ideas they had on what was going on, but none of them were what they expected.

Gwenog Jones was standing at the front desk, looking around at the reception desk with little interest. Her dark skin was slightly lighter as if she had just been out in the cold air, and her long hair was swept back in a now tangled pony tail.

Harry and Ron came to a halt at the sight of her. Ron couldn't help but feel a little smug that he was meeting the famous quidditch player and his sister wasn't.

"Gwenog Jones -" Harry said, not particularly to the said woman, but more in shock.

She turned to look at them, an expression crossing her face that clearly showed how relieved she was that they had arrived.

"Oh, good!" she exclaimed. In a few long strides she was directly in front of Harry and Ron. She extended her hand. "As you said, I'm Gwenog Jones. Nice to meet the two of you."

"Er - yeah," Ron said, shaking her hand. "I'm Ron Weasley."

"Harry," said Harry as he shook her hand as well.

"Right, right," she nodded. "I was hoping that one of you - or both of you, really - could show me to... The Burrow?"

"The Burrow - why d'you want to go there?"

"I need to talk to Molly and Arthur Weasley, if they're available," she answered Ron patiently.

"Why?"

Gwenog gave Ron reproachful look.

"Well, Sadie Longood is pregnant and will not return next season." Gwenog didn't seem too impressed by this statement, but went on, nevertheless. "I would like to speak with your parents," she nodded to Ron. "About Ginny Weasley signing on to the team."

Both Harry's and Ron's dropped open with their blatant surprise.

"What -?"

"- She's not even done with school -"

"- I would like to have her sign on before she returns from the Christmas holidays. She will finish school, of course."

"We'll both take you to the Burrow," Harry managed to say, still staring at Gwenog with shock.

He and Ron shared a grin before excusing themselves to round up their things - Ginny was going to lose it!

**HH-HH-HH-HH-HH**

Ginny hopped to the floor, skipping the last two steps. She had gone upstairs to retrieve her jacket in order to call the boys in from the snow. Everyone is taking it slow around the Burrow; its the first Christmas Eve, and tomorrow, Christmas, with so many loved ones gone.

She cut the corner of the sitting room, but a flutter at the opposite side of the room caught her attention. Ginny froze, turning to look more closely, and saw a lightly colored barn owl at the window. Curiously, she walked to the window, squishing behind the bushy Christmas tree, and slid it up. The owl swooped in and landed on the arm of the love seat.

Ginny untied the thick, dark green envelope from its leg. The owl pecked her index finger appreciatively and then flew out the window. With a shiver, a still confused Ginny closed the window and went back into the center of the room.

_Ginny Weasley_

_The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole_

She flipped the envelope over in her hands and stared at the golden seal that held it closed. It was emblazed a talon. The Harpies were writing to Ginny. But... why? The redhead's hands shook slightly, half with confusion, half with nerves.

Ginny broke the seal and pulled the thick parchment out. There were several pieces, and she unfolded the top one to read it first.

_Dear Miss Ginevra Weasley,_

_We are pleased to invite you to join the Holyhead Harpies, of Northeast Whales, an all-female quidditch team this coming season. _

_With permission of Headmistress McGonagall, you will be allowed to leave the school grounds every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night to train with the team. Once you have graduated from Hogwarts School Witch Craft and Wizardy, you will travel to Holyhead, Whales, United Kingdom for a boot camp until the tenth of August. The first match of the Holyhead Harpies's season is on the twelfth of August._

_If you accept this offer, please respond by tomorrow evening and we will meet with you shortly on the twenty-sixth of December. January second is the day of the International Quidditch League (IQL) Press Conference which we would like you to attend._

_Hoping to see you soon, _

_Happy holidays,_

_The International Quidditch League Committee_

"Mum -" Ginny knew her voice was too low for her mother to hear. Numbly, her legs began to move her towards the kitchen. "Mum!"

"Yes, dear?"

Molly and Andromeda turned away from the counter top, which they were preparing a feast on. Molly's eyes fell on the papers that Ginny was clutching tightly in her freckled hands and an excited smile filtered across her face.

"You - you knew?"

Andromeda rushed to the side door, to tell the boys to come in herself.

"Oh, Ginny," Molly sighed, going to her daughter and hugging her tightly. "Of course we know. Gwenog came to speak with us last week. We are so happy for you!"

"What's so important we have to be in here for?" Charlie grumbled, stomping his snowy boots on the mat. The rest of the Weasley's followed him in along with Harry and Hermione.

Arthur was grinning at his daughter, his youngest child, proudly.

"Congratulations, sweetie," he said, walking over to Ginny swiftly in order to hug her tightly.

Harry and Ron were grinning ear to ear. Ginny, who was hardly blinking, swallowed hard to moisten her throat.

"You two knew!" she exclaimed, the slight anger in her voice aimed towards Harry. The two have spent a considerable amount of time together since last week and he has said _nothing. _

"We swore not to tell!" replied Ron, he and Harry raising their hands in defense.

Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, and Hermione looked around at the parents, Andromeda, Harry and Ron looking very confused.

"Er - what's going on?" George questioned warily, looking around at everyone and then at the things in Ginny's hands.

"I... I got picked to join the Harpies," Ginny muttered, startling herself by saying it. She could not believe that this was happening to her.

This doesn't just happen - especially to someone like her. And she's going to be practicing with the Harpies once she returns to Hogwarts? What about her N.E.W.T.'S? Her Gryffindor quidditch position as chaser and captain? Ginny couldn't help but think, a little more wishfully than anything else, that maybe she wouldn't have to take her exams.

There was complete silence in the Burrow's kitchen for five seconds. Then there was complete chaos. All of Ginny's brothers yelled out, hooted and hollered, hoarding to their sister and hugging her tightly, lifting her into the air.

The commotion created a cry from the floor above as Teddy awake from his evening nap.

"I'll go get him," Andromeda said to the group, who looked slightly sheepish at waking the eight month old boy. She hugged Ginny tightly and kissed her cheek before leaving. Ginny strutted over to Harry, puffing out her chest for affect and Harry laughed.

"You know you're a prat, right?"

"Of course," Harry nodded, grinning.

Ginny hugged him tightly, breathing in his scent. "Thank you for surprising me," she whispered in his ear. "But you're going to get it."

"I have complete faith in you."

Ginny laughed, turning back to her family and screaming with excitement with them.

**HH-HH-HH-HH-HH**

"Miss Weasley?"

Ginny turned on her heel at the sound of her name. Professor McGonagall was standing with her fingers locked together in front of her in the entrance hall. When Ginny made eye contact with her, a bright smile appeared on her aging face.

"Excuse me," said Ginny out of the side of her mouth. Hermione didn't hear her, but she knew what Ginny had said.

Ginny ran over to Professor McGonagall and, after a second of hesitance, hugged the woman around her neck very tightly. Professor McGonagall was surprised, of course, but eventually hugged her student back.

"I am very proud to know you, Miss Weasley."

"Thank you so much, Professor," Ginny said, pulling back to look into her old Transfiguration teacher's eyes. "Thank you for everything that you have done over the past seven years. You are, and forever will be, my favorite professor."

Professor McGonagall chuckled bashfully. "Oh, why thank you," she said quietly. "I am your biggest fan."


End file.
